Chapter 94: Lashu Troop Deployment

April 24, 15:00.

Lashu Staff Department.

Jiang Anguo, Yan Xing, Song Yu and Wang Fei held a brief meeting.

"Commander, if we want to inflict greater casualties on the Japanese Army, we need to move the positions forward rather than just holding the Lashu front," Song Yu said, brandishing a pointer in front of the map.

Yan Xing nodded on the side, trait: combat staff.

"I propose the spot between Cell and Lashu, that is at Zai An; there is a river here, a natural defensive line. If we hold the bridge, the Japanese Army will find it hard to advance even a half step," Song Yu said, pointing at the map.

Honestly, the map is still in Myanmar script, but thanks to Song Yu being able to casually turn the Myanmar text into Chinese, he immediately wrote the names on the map.

Jiang Anguo located Zai An on the map; it is thirty kilometers from Lashu. If reinforced, it would take two hours, even with Transport Vehicles it would still take a few hours.

By train it would be much faster.

The roads are difficult; if the Japanese Army destroys the railway, there will be no way.

"How many troops should be allocated at best," Jiang Anguo asked.

Song Yu thought for a moment, "Commander, ideally a battalion's worth of troops; fewer and we fear the Japanese Army's firepower, more and we cannot form a formation."

"Commander, the Japanese Army's attack speed is indeed rapid, but they have abandoned their supply lines; therefore, if we block the first wave of their attack, we can enter a stalemate with them," Wang Fei said.

Jiang Anguo nodded; even though the Japanese Army is ferocious, they are also cut off from logistics. Watanabe Masao of the 56th Division only reached Yunnan by a single surge of effort.

If the Expeditionary Force's fighting will is stronger and we set a proper formation at Lashu, the Japanese Army's attack speed will not be that fast.

Blocking the Japanese Army's first wave creates a stalemate; even if we lose Yangon's supplies, as long as the Expeditionary Force's combat capability is assured, the loss is acceptable—we can air‑lift or use the Hump Route.

But if the Japanese Army reaches Yunnan, that would be different.

Ideally, keep the combat zone outside, within Myanmar.

"You make sense, but I worry about the combat power of the First Battalion; the Second Battalion is already deployed south of Lashu and cannot be moved easily; the rd Battalion is missing a battalion, its firepower is much weaker," Jiang Anguo said.

He glanced at his points and thought, "What else to consider? Deploy troops directly," and the Four Regiments had already been purchased.

Three standard Infantry Companies, each with 160 men, each equipped with infantry weapons.

And machine guns cost the same as infantry weapons, and submachine guns as well.

Machines and submachine guns are big ammo consumers; this system drains Jiang Anguo's points heavily.

Jiang Anguo only needs to equip the Infantry Companies with mortars, so each company requires five 60 mm mortars and one 81 mm mortar.

Originally a company required 850 points; mortars cost a total of 450 points, so now a company needs 1,300 points.

Battalion commander 1, deputy battalion commander 1, Guard Squad 15.

Communications Squad 20, Transport Squad 28.

Mortar Platoon 36, equipped with six 81 mm mortars.

75 mm Infantry Artillery Platoon 36, equipped with two.

Machine Gun Platoon 36, equipped with nine MG42s.

Pack horses 20, Transport Vehicles 12.

Total, infantry battalion strength 653 men.

One battalion costs a total of 6,345 points; this is Jiang Anguo's infantry battalion configuration, purchased directly.

Battalion commander Song Mengqin, trait: mountain, deputy battalion commander Shen Hui.

"Battalion Commander Song, your mission is to hold Zai An; set out now," Jiang Anguo ordered.

"Yes, Commander," Song Mengqin replied in a Jiangxi accent, and the two left the camp.

Meanwhile, personnel and weapons continuously streamed out of Jiang Anguo's command courtyard; after everyone was outside, Jiang Anguo also mobilized the horses and Transport Vehicles.

With such a battalion's strength, both defensive and offensive capabilities are sufficient.

The only possible shortfall is air defense; using the MG42 as an anti‑air weapon is not impossible, just less powerful.

Using a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun would be better.

However, the 12.7 mm machine gun costs differently; one unit is 7.5 points. If hit by a 12.7 mm round, a hit to the arm disables it, and a hit to the torso can blast it in two.

For air defense, Jiang Anguo still needs to consider how many anti‑air units to Exchange.

Of course, air‑defense weapons should preferably use 20 mm ammunition, enough to down a plane with a few shots.

Jiang Anguo not only dispatched Song Mengqin's battalion, but also mobilized the First and Second Battalions of the Lashu Defense Force.

He does not intend them to block the Japanese, but to assist Battalion Four of Song Mengqin in holding Zai An; the key at Zai An is the river—just block the railway and the bridge, and the Japanese will be powerless.

Further map study revealed that from Dongzhi eastward, the Japanese Army has two attack routes, and the forward position of Lashu also requires two units to block.

Regardless of how many Japanese troops, Jiang Anguo needs to send another unit to hold the Mengai–Mengyang front.

In fact, there is no road from Mengai to Lashu; it turns directly toward Cell.

"Commander, my suggestion is to place a unit at Nammbang as well; we can reduce forces here and put the rd Battalion at this spot," Song Yu said, fearing the Japanese might sneak north from Mengai via the Small Road.

It is not impossible; any uncertainty becomes possible in the eyes of those Japanese lunatics.

Jiang Anguo does not dare to take risks; he is not worried about Lashu's safety, as main forces are there. His only concern is Battalion Four of Song Mengqin—if the Japanese come from Mengai and cut off Lashu's link to Battalion Four, it would encircle Battalion Four.

Such a situation on the battlefield would be extremely dangerous.

Jiang Anguo has little time left to think and deploy defenses.

Without hesitation, Jiang Anguo also Exchanges the Fifth and Sixth Regiments.

Fifth Regiment commander Meng Shan, trait: defense; Sixth Regiment commander Yan Sen, trait: support.

Jiang Anguo also assigned two Engineer Companies, each of two companies, to Meng Shan and Yan Sen respectively; the Engineer Company has already been sent to Zai An to construct defensive positions.

The number of troops under Jiang Anguo instantly exceeded nine thousand.

"Meng Shan, your mission is to defend the Nammbang front."

"Understood, Commander."

Yan Sen's task is to establish a second line along Lava; originally the plan was to defend behind Zai An and Nammbang, constructing two defensive lines three to five kilometers back.

But now manpower is still tight, and the time left for Jiang Anguo is short; in the short term, wanting to build five Defensive Lines is simply a pipe dream.